Bristol-based anonymous artist to create more women statues

His statues have drawn viral attention on social media and always prompt discussion. Posting via Instagram, the anonymous Bristol artist's work has tackled everything from male suicide to slavery, war and homelessness. Now the secret sculptor is turning his attention to the lack of female representation in the city, with a range of new statues of women. Chloe Harcombe has been chatting to him about the motivation behind the project.

The man behind the account @gettinguptostuff, says he chooses to hide his identity so as not to divert attention from his pieces.

In 2020, his overnight addition of a new statue depicting a distressed man being comforted by a teddy bear prompted an international response as it resonated with so many people affected by suicide.

"Bear With Me" features a bear comforting a distraught man on a ledge and appeared overnight on World Suicide Prevention Day.

But it's a level of attention that this sculptor is uneasy with, despite a career spanning a decade in a city where Banksy is king.

Around 11 years ago, he shifted his priorities from commercial success to making statements and provoking conversations.

The change in approach made him "deliberately turn it all around and do the 180 opposite of what art is for", by planting his sculptures out in the public for people to discover by themselves.

He said: "Everything comes from a simple place; if it's not spoken about enough I'll make a statement about it."

The move garnered what he considers to be a more valuable form of success, as it resulted in sparking important conversations amongst people.

But with just three female statues currently on display in Bristol, (including one of his own), his next guerrilla art project aims to redress the balance.

His upcoming work is based on a list of 20 women that have influenced his life.

He said: "These are people I can look back at in my life, who helped me, or brought an attitude or an interesting story into my life that I never had before."

The women are selected from the past and the present and the overall theme taps into the concept that many women don't get the credit deserved for their efforts.

"Because they're women, they didn't get the same attention as men and it's not fair," he said,

"I was brought up and surrounded by so many strong women."

Over the years, as his following has grown, the artist has realised that art can be effective.

He said: "I've found my thing now; I'll never go back."

Before "Bear with Me", the artist had been keen to make a piece about suicide for several years, after one of his friends took their own life.

According to the Office for National Statistics, suicide rates are highest among men aged 45-49.

The artist said the figures are "disproportionate" and mentioned that research has showed that men aren't as open with sharing their feelings.

Initially, the artist said he followed the engagement the piece generated, but eventually lost track.

He was contacted by people around the world who connected with his work, and as a result of its recognition, he teamed up with Suicide Prevention Bristol to raise money by selling prints.

"It's amazing, but also tragic that so many people connected to it," he said.

"Everybody seems to have been touched by this subject, and it's heartbreaking.

"It just shows that art has some relevance, rather than just showing off," he said.

He said each location chooses itself as "it's always around a subject and the subject has a location."

When he ventured into sculpture work, he said he had no plan other than to give himself the freedom to make anything he wanted.

He said: "After a while you get so tired of asking for permission and asking people to give feedback. It's soul crushing."

The artist has never revealed what his sculptures are made of.

When he is asked repeatedly on his Instagram page, he jokingly responds "tears and magic."

Although he has decided to keep the material a mystery, he revealed that his work is eco-friendly, featuring no metal, resin or plastic.

The bio-degradable nature of the pieces means that eventually, they will all go back into nature.

"They're not meant to last. They're meant to make a point.

"They should come and go like the rest of us - I don't like a statue living longer than me," he said.

Prior to the toppling of the Edward Colston statue in 2020, the artist had created a piece about slavery, placed at the base of the former statue.

The idea occurred to him when there was "a lot of polarised discussion" about renaming the former Colston Hall, which is now known as Bristol Beacon.

When one of his friends encountered a victim of slavery working in a nail bar, he was inspired to draw attention to modern slavery.

Although the girl was able to escape the system and make a better future for herself, many are still trapped working in various fields, such as car wash attendants, fruit pickers and sex workers.

To depict the issue, he created 100 concrete figures and placed them in the shape of a ship.

The figures were surrounded by chains and kerb stones which were engraved with the words "here and now."

He placed the figures at Colston Avenue on 18 October 2018, in line with Anti-Slavery Day.

Although the piece was removed after several months, the artist was satisfied that it "lasted long enough to make an impact."

The artist remains tight-lipped about when and where we might see the women statues or even how many he has already finished.

Fans will have to remain eagle-eyed around the city.

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